


The Girl I Fancy

by BecomeThatGirlYouFancy



Category: Tegan and Sara (Band)
Genre: F/F, Gay, LGBTQ, Lesbian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-01 20:06:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11493804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BecomeThatGirlYouFancy/pseuds/BecomeThatGirlYouFancy
Summary: Shaun has left the band and left Tegan and Sara hanging before The Con Tour. Will the girls approve of his replacement? Or will she become something else entirely? Rated teen for now. First story, constructive criticism welcome!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first story I've been brave enough to post online. It's a work in progress, with most of the plot planned out. I'll be switching POV a bit. Suggestions are welcome, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts! 
> 
> Thanks!

"You're WHAT now?"  
I ran my hand over my face, trying not to be too shocked. We all saw this coming, just not in the middle of planning our last tour for the album. We were weeks away from our first show, and now this?  
Shaun stood there awkwardly, fidgeting in his nervousness. "I'm getting married. I wanted you guys to be the first to know."  
Ted grinned, the idiot. Of course he was always the happy one. Jumping up in excitement and hugging Shaun, Johnny joined in. Sara sat on the edge of the couch, smiling, but I knew she was anxious now. I sighed. There wasn't much we could do at this point but congratulate him.  
"She's a lucky girl, Shaun. You know we'll miss you though." Sara, always the diplomatic one.  
Breaking out of the group hug, his expression changed to one of business.  
"I knew I'd be leaving you guys in a shitty situation, so I went ahead and took the liberty of speaking to the label about some replacements. I know who I want to replace me, and they've approved it. I swear you'll love her."  
Sara's face paled. Control freak that she was, I knew this was a mistake. Shaun however, had no idea how much choice we'd had into his original choosing to join us. Sara stood up, arms crossed.  
"You're saying they've already hired someone, that we've never met, to play on our biggest tour yet?" Now Shaun was pale.  
"Uh...... yea."


	2. It Was A July Evening

_“I really need to get this key fixed….”_  

For about the millionth time this week, I approached my apartment door with trepidation. I had once again forgotten to ask the landlord for a new key, as mine had somehow gotten bent just enough to not want to always cooperate with me or the lock. Finally the door opened, and I sighed with relief. I immediately called the landlord, who agreed to bring me a new key within the hour. Figuring I had some time before he could make it up to my place, I grabbed a quick shower and cleaned up the place a bit. Sure enough, 45 minutes after I’d called, I had a new key, and he’d had a quick laugh at my expense. 

“Try not to break this one Mel, or i’ll have to charge you extra.” He winked, chuckling as he walked out the door. I had just sat back down to finish my chapter when my phone rang. I answered it without looking, ninety percent sure I knew who it was. 

“Mel! I got us a gig tonight! We need you downtown. I'm begging you.” 

I rolled my eyes, doing a mental dance that I had guessed correctly, but still not quite happy about it. It was Claire, my best friend and also the lead singer of the band we had started over a year ago. 

“You know I have a meeting in the morning. We can't all survive on our musical talents you know.” I heard her squirming, trying not to openly beg. I sighed again, feeling myself give in. 

“Where is it? It's not another coffee shop is it?”

“No! It's at the new bar that just opened up on Main. The wait list to get in is ridiculous, and I got us a slot to play tonight. But you'd need to be here in an hour for sound check, or we don't get to play.”

I hopped up, running into the back bedroom to grab an outfit. 

“What kind of bar? I need to know what to wear.”

She was getting impatient. “Just wear your plaid shirt and get over here! Jesus Christ! I need you to hurry Mel. This could be our chance.” 

I told her I'd be there as soon as I was changed, and hung up. I threw on some skinny jeans, canvas tops, and my lucky blue plaid shirt and as soon as I had some kind of makeup on, I was out the door with my gear. 

 

***********************************************

“You're sure they're actually going to choose her? Because she's the only one I think can do it justice…….. Of course I'm serious…… I'm really leaving. This girl is who I picked, so they can either pick her for the tour, or postpone and audition…….i know they don't….. I know. Time management. Got it…….Thanks Piers. You're the man.” Shaun ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket, knowing everything would fall into place before he revealed his departure to the girls. 

 

***********************************************

 

When I arrived at the club, I was shocked to find that Claire had been correct. The line of people waiting to get in was insane. I went around to the back entrance, like Claire had instructed in her texts, and was immediately rushed on stage for sound check. The bar was honestly more like a club, very modern and minimalistic but it also seemed like a venue of sorts. The stage was larger than I had imagined, and about four feet higher than the floor. The lighting was top of the line, and the sound equipment was insane. We were all extremely excited to be playing tonight. Sound check went great. The equipment they’d installed in this place was amazing, even better than we thought once we’d actually used it, and before I knew it we were playing our set. 

It all went quickly, so fast I could barely take it in. I loved every minute of it. The crowd was enthusiastic, and some fans from over the past year had showed up which definitely helped, and by the time we finished and ended up backstage, Claire was glowing. 

“That was amazing! I’m so glad you could make it.” She shoved me playfully, jumping in her excitement. “This is how it could be! We could really make it, Mel!” I grinned. Her excitement was infectious, and it was hard not to imagine that she could be right. We chilled backstage for a bit with our drummer, Steven, and our manager, Andrew, before he finally convinced us that we should go enjoy the new club, since we had been offered free drinks for playing. I was hesitant, as I wasn’t really one for clubbing, but I have to admit I did enjoy myself. Claire found some guy to dance with, and I mostly sat at the bar nursing my drink. I was pulled onto the dance floor a couple times by a fan who’d seemed to have a crush on me for a while, but she wasn’t really my type. What seemed like hours later, I pushed my way outside to find Andrew, who was always good for a smoke, and I was craving a cigarette like crazy. Sure enough, I found him on the smoke deck built along the side of the building, talking animatedly on his phone. I waited back a bit to give him some privacy, before he turned and his eyes met mine. He lit up, and before I knew it he was grabbing me and shaking me in his excitement. 

“You are NEVER going to believe who I just got off the phone with!”

I pushed him off, eyeing him like he was crazy. He was shaking with the anticipation of telling me though. I assumed he’d had some big break, which would most likely mean he wouldn’t be our manager very much longer.

“It must’ve been someone insanely important. Are you gonna tell me, or leave me hanging? If we need to find a new manager we nee….” He cut me off, covering my mouth with his hand. 

“They don’t want me. They want YOU! For a headlining band! The bass player is leaving for a few weeks, maybe a month, and he said they needed to choose you, and their label agreed. You’re never going to guess who it is.”

I furrowed my brow as I thought of any band that would honestly take me. A headlining band? I would’ve been lucky to end up as an opener for someone small. I looked back up at Andrew and I swear his face was glowing, he was dying to tell me. 

“Alright, spill.”

“It’s Tegan and Sara.”


	3. I Can't Even Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's been some confusion, so for now, asterisks denote a POV change. Later in the story, I probably won't be changing POV's as often, unless you guys request it, and in that case it'll denote a time skip. For this chapter however, the line of asterisks if a POV change from Mel to Tegan.
> 
> Thanks! Please leave a review if you're liking the story, and the next chapter is already in the works!

Shock. Pure shock. Nothing else processed through my mind. It was running a million miles a minute, and everything in my entire life that could have possibly led me to this very moment played out. Every pathway, every decision, every tiny moment that could have made it possible for the one dream I never truly dared wish to come true, was racing through my mind. Somehow, someone. No. Shaun. Andrew said that Shaun was the one who recommended me. But how? Where had he discovered me? Had he seen one of our shows? Our channel on YouTube? My own personal channel of original songs and covers? Had he heard my name somewhere?

At this point Claire and Steven had made it outside, looking for the both of us. I remember seeing Claire’s worried face, Steven with a look of confusion. My subconscious focused on the familiar visage of my best friend, watching as her own emotions played out as she heard the news. First a look of worry, as I was clearly shell-shocked. Then excitement as she found out a headliner wanted me, and finally a confusing mixture of shock and … jealousy? as she found out that it was the one band I would never say no to. The one band that I would follow to the end of the Earth if they asked me to join. Of course we both knew what my answer would be. I took a deep breath, realizing my brain could probably use the oxygen as it awoke from its stupor.

I looked at Andrew, who had never looked happier to be my manager at this point. He knew how much this meant to me, how much their music had done for me. I knew he loved that band as much as me, and that he appreciated that this was a big moment for the both of us.

“When? How on earth was this decided anyways?” I sat down at one of the tables, realizing Claire had already taken a seat and honestly looked very odd to me at the moment. Andrew joined us, as we all processed this news.

“Shaun Huberts is getting married, and since he’ll be leaving the band for a bit, they need a replacement. Their US tour starts in September, so you’d need to leave within the next few days to meet them and start practicing. As for how, Shaun apparently saw your videos online where you covered some of Tegan and Sara’s songs, and was impressed enough with that and your live performances to feel that it should be you.”

The shock took over again. Would this ever feel normal? Hopefully in a few months when I was back, I wouldn’t feel so crazy.

I turned as Claire sat forward, arms crossed. “So you’re saying she’ll be gone from the end of July, until mid October? What about our shows? We already have some booked, and tonight could’ve been our big break.” Was she pissed? Or was I dreaming? Her reaction to this was alien to me.

“Are you seriously pissed right now Claire? I’ve been offered my dream job and you’re worried about yourself.”

She scoffed. “This dream job will last a few months. Then what? You could’ve spent that time building your own career with us.” She sat back, arms still crossed.

“Claire, this is going to build my career. You can’t play with someone this well known and not get some recognition.”

“Recognition in the gay community maybe, but not everywhere else. They’re still just as nameless as we are.”

I couldn’t handle this right now. “Claire, either be happy for me or shut the fuck up. I can’t with you right now. Really.”

I turned to Andrew, who looked apprehensive. “Tell them I can leave tomorrow. Call them now, whoever you need to call. Arrange it for as early as possible. I can meet them wherever they need me to. Just don’t make me sound too desperate for this, ok? Oh, and make sure they know that I’ll need my manager with me for any contracts, or deals, and that everything is to go through the both of us. I trust you, but I don’t want either of us signing something without the other. Past that, you do whatever you need to do.” I stood up, ignoring Claire as Andrew hugged me very enthusiastically. Steven hugged me and sat back down with Claire, and I left to get my things and head home, ignoring the glare pointed at my back.

***********************************************************

I had to admit that I was really glad we’d come back to Sara’s apartment for this discussion instead of mine.

Sara was livid. When we’d signed on with a bigger label, we’d thought we’d worked it out to have most of the control, like we always had. This was the first time the label had stepped in without letting us in on the decision, and my sister wasn’t handling it well. Sure, Shaun had hand picked this girl, which was slightly reassuring, but as soon as Sara had Piers on speakerphone, she let him have it.

“How could you let them do this without speaking to us?! We know nothing about this girl! We’ve never heard her play, we don’t know anything about her history, and we have no idea how she’ll get along with everyone. This isn’t a decision to be made lightly. She’s starting off our tour with us. She’ll end up sharing a dressing room with us, and probably get stuck on our bus because they aren’t going to put her with the guys! Piers, what the FUCK is going on here?” _“_

 _If you’d let me explain Sara, I would. I understand your concern, I really do.”_ I shook my head as Sara tried to interrupt. _“The girl’s great Sara. Shaun did well picking her. I saw her play tonight and she was fantastic. Her names Melanie Taylor. She’s 25, squeaky clean record, works as a proofreader for a local publishing company, somewhere up in management. She’s smart. Gorgeous. Fits in well with your aesthetic. Great with her fans. She’s flying out in the morning to meet you both, and start practice. If you don’t like her, I need to know tomorrow, or we won't have time to find someone else. Just give her a chance though ok? Her manager was even nice. He’ll be there too. Says he’s a huge fan.”_ Sara still looked pissed, so I finished the conversation.

“Sounds good Piers. We’ll meet her tomorrow. Have her come to my place, and tell her to be ready to give us a taste of what she can do. We’ll treat her to dinner, and see how it goes. We’ll give you our decision tomorrow night.” Sara looked a little calmer knowing she had an out, but we both knew it wasn’t likely to go over well if we said no.

_“Thanks Tegan. Her flight arrives around 10am, so she’ll be at your place around noon. I’ll get her set up at the hotel, and then bring her over myself. See you tomorrow girls.”_

“Bye Piers.” We said it in unison, something that always seemed to amuse Sara. She took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly, something I know her therapist had been reiterating in their sessions. I was already in the kitchen making coffee, since that always seemed to help her, when she joined me. She took the steaming mug and inhaled. I could see she was already calming down.

“When does Emy fly in? I know you wanted to spend the break with her.” I finished making my cup and took a sip, adding more sugar before finally sitting down with Sara. “She gets in tonight, and she wanted me to ask if you wanted to go to dinner. She’s thinking sushi, of course, so we need to find a place. She’ll also be here tomorrow when Melanie arrives.” She took a sip of coffee and wouldn’t meet my gaze, so I knew something was up.

“She’ll be here to keep you calm, you mean.” She looked at me pointedly, not admitting I was correct.

“It’s not that big of a deal Sara. Shaun said she was great, and he’s hoping to rejoin us at some point, plus he’ll be here for practice to make sure she gets everything right.”

“You know how I feel about adding people to the band. It took forever to find Shaun in the first place. We have practically no say in this now, and it’s honestly too late to find anyone else.” I relented, knowing this would be an argument I wouldn’t win.

“Let’s just see what happens tomorrow, ok? Piers already knows that she needs to be ready to play something for us tomorrow. I have everything she would need to play a couple songs, and if it’s honestly not enough, we’ll tell Piers.” Sara drank her coffee in silence, and I knew that was the best reaction i’d get out of her on this.


	4. Plead Your Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mel meets the girls, and questions are answered.
> 
> Please comment and share! I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. :)

Andrew and I landed in LA around 10am. Between the time difference, and the stops and layovers, i’d had to wake up at 4 in the morning just so that we could be at the airport in time to leave. I had gotten a few hours of sleep on the plane, but I was still feeling a bit groggy. The only thing keeping me going at this point was my 5th coffee, and the fact that I was meeting Tegan and Sara in only 2 hours. We made it through the baggage claim, and a few minutes later we were met by none other than Piers himself. Andrew had told me that Piers was at my show last night, which led me to assume he had taken the first flight out here just to be able to meet us and be there for the introductions. I also assumed he was there to work out some kind of contract with Andrew, but I couldn’t be sure. We loaded our luggage and my gear into a black SUV, and within minutes we were on our way to the hotel we would be staying at for a few days while an apartment was rented for Andrew and I. At this point I was beginning to get nervous. I was meeting my idols today, people I had admired for years, listened to their music, and gone to countless shows. The thought that I was in a band with them hadn’t sunk in yet, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before reality hit. 

We arrived at the hotel, and I realized I must’ve blacked out during the drive, because it felt like it took two seconds. We went up to our rooms, showered and changed clothes, then Andrew and I met in the hall before heading down. At this point I was shaking and he had to take the guitar case from me.  
“Do I look ok?” He looked me over and nodded, grinning. I had decided to go with a maroon button down shirt, black denim skinny jeans, and my favorite grey converse. This wasn’t my usual job interview, where i’d typically dress a little more feminine, and I figured it would be a bit casual anyways as we were meeting at Tegan’s house. I still wanted to look good though.  
The drive to Tegan’s apartment seemed to take forever, and when we finally pulled up my nerves were at an all time high. Piers had already let them know we were on our way, and I let him go up first while I trailed behind Andrew. I could hear voices down the hall, as I watched Piers step into an apartment. Tegan’s laughter traveled down towards me and my nerves couldn’t decide whether they wanted to get worse, or go away. Piers was laughing as I stepped up to the door with Andrew.  
“Starting early, Tegan?” Piers grinned, motioning for us both to enter the apartment. Tegan and Sara stood in the entryway. Tegan was holding a drink, grinning at us as we walked in. They were both dressed casually, in t-shirts and skinny jeans, though Tegan had on a pair of colorful socks unlike Sara. Sara stood next to her sister, a serious expression on her face and her arms folded over her chest until she reached out to shake Andrews hand.  
Tegan laughed again, handing a drink to Piers.  
“Celebrating! I’ve waited years to get another girl in the band, and here she is.” Tegan winked at me, and my nerves turned into strange butterflies centering themselves in my chest. I looked to Sara, who had just stretched her hand out to me. I put my bag down quickly, shaking her hand.  
“Thank you for meeting with us today, and for hosting us here. It’s an honor, really.” Tegan grinned wider, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she was drinking. Sara perked up a bit, but simply motioned us forward and helped with the gear. Tegan set her drink down and shook my hand as soon as mine were free.  
“Of course! Make yourselves comfortable! I can fix you both a drink and we can sit down and talk before we get everything set up. I know you’ve both traveled quite a ways to get here.”  
Andrew and I took a seat, looking at each other with the same amazed expression. I’ll admit, we fangirled for a split second while we were left alone, and when I looked up Tegan was smirking at me. I blushed, sitting back on my seat as Andrew giggled. I can’t recall ever hearing him giggle, but he was loving this too much. Tegan sat down next to me, her thigh touching mine as she handed me an amber colored drink in a small glass, the same thing she’d been drinking since we walked in. She took a sip of her own and winked at me as I lifted my glass and took a drink, laughing as I pulled it away. Andrew looked at me confused and I turned to Tegan.  
“Apple juice? You’ve been drinking apple juice this whole time?”  
Her brown eyes locked onto mine and I could see the amusement she felt very clearly.  
“I think it’s fun to do the unexpected, plus it loosened you up without having to give you alcohol, which is always a bonus.” She smiled at me and turned to Sara, who had just reappeared with Piers in tow. They took their seats and I could see that it was time for business. Piers sat forward, looking at Andrew as he spoke.  
“You’ve already seen the paperwork, so you already know the pay, and the technical details and legal aspects of all of this. Since you’ve already stated you’re in agreement with all of that, the only things that need to be decided are the living situation, and the duration that you’ll be with us, Mel. I’ve spoken with the girls’ other managers, and we all agree that as long as the girls have no problem with it, you’ll share a bus with them, since the rest of the band members and full time crew are male. In the past, the band as a whole have shared a bus, so this wasn’t an issue, but since there will be an extra bus we’ve decided to do it this way.” He turned to Tegan and Sara to get their reactions.  
“You know i’m fine with it Piers, and Sara already said it was fine pending full agreement at the end of this.” Tegan glanced at me, probably wondering if i’d take offense at Sara’s response. The idea of sharing a bus with just Tegan and Sara was a bit nerve wracking. Then again, it was just about every fan's dream come true.  
“I’m completely fine with whatever arrangement is decided. It makes no difference to me where I sleep, as long as I get a hot shower.” Tegan laughed, and Piers smiled, glad that was at least decided. Piers marked something in his paperwork and continued.  
“So the tour starts in September, with three or four shows a week, and you’ll be with us until at least the end of October, where Shaun will resume his position. Any festival dates before the tour have already been arranged, so you will be staying here in LA to practice. Since we’re only a few days away from August, you’ll be meeting with Tegan and Sara at least 6 days a week for practice, with one day off. All of you can discuss which days you take off, it doesn’t have to be set.” He rustled through his papers looking for something.  
“Ah, okay. In the event that Shaun can’t continue at the designated date, do you agree to continue with the band until he can rejoin the band himself?” Andrew looked at me, nodding slightly in a way that said he knew about this and approved.  
“I’m fine with that. However long you need me for is fine.”  
“Good! Then please sign here, and here.” I quickly signed and he passed a copy to Andrew.  
“Alright ladies, go ahead.” Piers sat back looking relieved, and Sara turned to me.  
“My biggest concern about this is that we don’t know you, don’t know anything about you, and have heard nothing from you musically. This was Shaun’s decision, and he didn’t include us in anything.”  
Ah. So this explained Sara’s attitude towards me. She was all business right now, but I could tell that she knew her words had affected me a bit.  
“We trust Shaun’s decision. He’s our friend, and a great bass player, but this is OUR band, OUR music. This is the first decision we didn’t have a hand in, and i’m not used to that. So what I need from you is for you to be honest, just tell me about yourself, and answer any questions we have.” Her expression was hard to read, but I had a feeling this had been eating her up for a while. Though I hadn’t known it, I had been a wild card in their plans for weeks now, and they were just now getting to find out what that wild card would do. The fact that they had no decision in this sort of hurt. I had been under the impression that Shaun had recommended me to them, and they’d said yes. I had to look at the positive side though, which was that I was here and i’d been offered the position no matter what the circumstances were.  
“I’ll answer anything you want, within reason of course. We can start with the basics. I’m Melanie Taylor, i’m 25. I currently work as a manager at a publishing company. I have a bachelor's degree from USC, the one in South Carolina, and I live in Greenville. I’m in a band with my best friend, Claire, though we mostly just play clubs and bars and the occasional event. I’ve played bass since I was 14…. What else do you want to know?”  
Tegan sat forward, cutting off her sister.  
“Are you a fan? Have you even heard the discography you’re going to be playing?”  
I blushed. What a question….. Tegan smirked again, already guessing my answer.  
“I’ve been a fan since about 2001. I can play any song of yours that you want on bass, some on guitar and even keyboard. I can sing backup, but I wouldn’t call myself a great singer honestly.”  
Sara looked impressed, and Tegan sat back, letting her twin take the lead again.  
“We have rules for people who go on tour with us. No drugs, at all, at any time. If a fan tries to give them to you, don’t accept it. It sends the wrong message about our band. If we catch you with drugs, you’re out. We don’t mind drinking, but there’s a time and place for it, and alcohol won’t be kept on the buses.”  
I agreed to everything, explaining it wouldn’t be a problem since I didn’t do any drugs and I’m not particularly big on drinking anyways. Things calmed down and at some point we just started having a normal conversation. We talked about shared interests, Sara’s love of Scrabble and how I promised i’d beat her at least once before I left tour. We talked about the music we all loved, and Sara asked some generic interview questions. “Why do you want this job?”, “Why do you think you were picked for this position in the band?” leaving Tegan to butt in jokingly and ask “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” and then proceed to start giggling. Emy arrived not long after we’d gotten comfortable, and she was as sweet as i’d always pictured. Watching Sara and Emy in person was much different than what they showed the public, and it was sickeningly sweet. Hours passed, Piers and Andrew left, presumably to finish paperwork, Tegan made actual drinks, and we all forgot about the fact that I was supposed to play for them. During a particularly interesting retelling of a story involving a crew member on tour, Sara remembered another rule. I was sitting on the couch with Tegan, and Sara and Emy were sort of cuddled together on the love seat across from us.  
“One of the biggest rules is that you can’t bring girls onto the bus.” I laughed, knowing that also wouldn’t be an issue.  
“No worries there. I’m not interested in any of that.” Sara nodded, accepting my answer, but Tegan sat forward and blurted out “Why? Are you seeing someone?”


End file.
